Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

My parents had never been anywhere in their lives. The second they heard I was taking them on a trip, they had their bags packed a whole week in advance.Mom went into town to get her hair dyed, while Dad went around telling everyone he knew, grinning the whole time.On the morning of the first day of the long holiday, Amelia Hurst and I drove over to pick them up. They were already sitting out front in brand-new clothes, waiting for us.But once we reached town, Amelia first pulled into a gas station and spent 20 whole minutes fueling up. Then she grabbed a rag and started wiping the windshield at a snail's pace.A sinking feeling hit me, and I couldn't help speaking up. "We can wipe it when we get back. Let's just get going."Amelia's expression darkened. She was clearly annoyed."The whole front of the car is covered in bugs after driving on the highway. You didn't pay for this car, so of course you don't care."My parents tugged at my arm, so I bit my tongue and said nothing

"You people get seafood, yet when it comes to my parents, you call Pac Burger good food?" I snapped at them.Julie shot to her feet. "Am I wrong? What gives those two shameless old people the right to spend my daughter's money on hamburgers?"My voice rose. "What do you mean by spending your daughter's money? Haven't I been spending money on you two this whole time?"I spend my entire 13,000-dollar monthly salary on this household! What's wrong with my parents wanting to have a decent meal for once?"The moment the words left my mouth, a wave of bitterness washed over me, and my eyes got so hot they ached.Amelia's salary only covered her own car payments. Not one cent of her money ever came to me.The mortgage was 5,000 dollars a month, and I covered all the household expenses. On top of that, Dale and Julie were ill every other week and needed to be hospitalized.If I hadn't been so short on money, I never would've even made my parents put up with Amelia's attitude for three w

I didn't reply, simply letting my phone buzz on the table all night long.Amelia's messages kept coming in. "What is the meaning of this, Kenneth Chambers? My parents have been stuck waiting at the airport for three hours.""You took my money! Don't think you can just run off with it. If you don't give the money back, I'll make sure you can't keep your job."The last message came in at 2:00 am. "Kenneth, don't force my hand."I flipped my phone screen-side down and went to take a shower.By the time I came out, it was almost dawn. I went over every moment of the past five years in my head. When I was done, I opened the closet.Amelia's clothes took up two-thirds of the space. Her clothes hung by color, her dresses were tucked in garment bags, and her heels were lined up in pairs on the shelves.I'd bought every last one of them with money I'd saved up.I took all the clothes down one piece at a time, folded them, and packed them into cardboard boxes. Even more stuff was i

Amelia stood there frozen for three seconds, and in those three seconds, a lot ran through my mind. I thought about everything I'd been through over the past five years.She laughed all of a sudden. "Divorce?""Yes."She pointed at me, her finger trembling. "Kenneth Chambers, you took my money, threw out my stuff, forced my parents to stay in a hotel, and now you want a divorce?""That's right.""Who the hell do you think you are?" she shouted, and every head in the lobby turned.I simply stared at her calmly. She took two steps toward me, getting right up in my face."When I married you, what did your family have? You were a country bumpkin whose family lived in a shack. And how much did your parents even make in a whole year? I did you a favor by marrying you!"Staring at her, I said, "You're right. My family lives in the countryside. But my parents have never spent a single cent of your money."As for when your mother needed to be hospitalized, I was the one who put down th

I ignored Julie. The next day, security talked her into leaving. On the third day, she was waiting for me at the entrance to my apartment building.I saw her as soon as I stepped outside. She looked a lot older than she had a month ago. Her hair had turned mostly gray, her back was hunched, and that cashmere sweater of hers was pilling."Kenneth."The way she said my name was so gentle that I barely recognized her voice. "I just want to have a word with you.""Ma'am, if you have something to say, do it here."She froze for a moment. I'd called her by her name for five years, after all.Julie tried a different approach. "Kenny, I know I haven't treated you well in the past. You and Amelia should get back together."I said nothing in response."Amelia knows she messed up. She's been bringing her own lunch to work every day and has lost over 15 pounds. Come back, and you can still have the final say in the family."I've accepted your parents, too. From now on, whenever they visit